Older folk ‘poor and lonely’ in Wales

MORE than 100,000 older people in Wales are living in poverty, according to a new report published today.

Wales: A Good Place to Grow Old? has been published by Age Alliance Wales.

It found that more than three-quarters of women and a third of men over the age of 65 live alone, while four out of ten older people say they are sometimes or often lonely.

It also found that four out of ten older people in Wales say their health is poor or fair.

Age Alliance Wales is publishing the report to challenge the Welsh Government, local authorities, health boards and other agencies to take action to improve the lives of the 500,000 older people in
Wales.

Angela Roberts, from Age Alliance Wales, said: “With the number of older people set to increase dramatically in coming years, nobody can be complacent.

“Without action, the prospects for some older people look grim.

“This is not just important for the current generations of older people, but also for those now in their forties and fifties.”